Method of making expanded metal.



I L. E. cums METHOD OF MAKK N G EXPANDED METAL.

APPLICATION FILED SEP .T M1913.

lat' mm'wl July 18, 916.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

HEW/675K6 7" v116. The fingers 31, as clearly appears in 50 positioned as to properly present the sheet to be cutto the slitters andexpanders, is a guide-way 31 having a bottom 35 inclined upwardly from the entrance end of the machine toward the exit end. The inclination of the bottom of said guide-way is in the ratio of the width of' a strand to the distance betweencentersof bonds. In

' order to slit the sheet with interrupted slits parallel tof the edges of the sheet, all'the arbors 13 and 18, and consequently the disks and expanders carried thereby, are inclined from the vertical, the inclination being such that the arbors 13 and 18 are perpendicular to the inclined bottom 35 of the guide-way.

Furthermore, each cuttingdisk .15 is equal in width to the width of two strands so that thecorresponding expander 17 associated; therewith will engage the proper str d a and, as will be-understood, all the cutting disks 15 and 16 and 115,and 116 are provided with equally spaced notches 34 around the periphery thereof,- the notches of the disks. 15 and 115 being properly staggered or alternated with the notches of the disks 16 and 116 respectively, to thereby slit the sheet with bonded .strands wherein the bonds are staggered 1n the usual manner;

The operation is as follows: As the sheet- S passes the first set of cutting .disks 112,.

115 and 116, it will be slitted so as to form two strands a and b with the bonds staggered. As the sheet advances to the next set of slitters and expander associated therewith, two more strands are-formed as indicated at c and J, the stra'ndsc and (1. being adjacent and similar to the strands a and 7), as will be understood. Simultaneously with the slitting of the sheet 8" to r'orm thestrands (4" and (1, the expander 1T wmch isassoclated with the cutting disks that form thestrands c and all, will engage the previously formed but unopened strand a and will open the lat- V tor directly to thereby form a mesh, as

clearly. indicated in Fig. (i; As the expander 17 directly opens up the strand a. the ond or, adjacent strand bf will he indirectly opened up thereby, as indicated in Fig. 6. Similarly. as the sheet advances to the next set of slittcrs and expanders, another pair of strands will be formed, and siiiiultaneouslywith the formation thereof, the

expander associated with saidset of slitters will directly open up the strand f and in directly-the strand d. This series of steps is continued across the full width of the sequently by the expander associa with the next adjacent set of slitters. I

p I have herein described specifically o'nemethodofcarrying out my improve 'proc- 'ess, but the same is merel descriptive any? I do not wish to be limite thereto but coiltemplate such changes andmodifications of g the steps and combination-of the" steps of the process as come within the scope oftllo claims appended hereto. 3

Islaim: v L, 1. lhe herein describe! 10d of manufacturing expanded metal which includes, slitting without ex audi a portion of a sheet to form hon ed strands, successively @opening up the strands thus formed simultaneously with the slitting without expandling of an adjacentportion of the sheet to form bonded strands, and so on across the width of the sheet. v

2. The herein described method of manufacturing expanded metal which includes, slitting without expanding a sheet to form 1 a strand bonded at intervals to the body of.

the sheet',- subsequently openin up said strand thus formed simultaneous y with the slitting without expanding of the sheet to' form another similar strand in proximity thereto, and repeating the foregoi 1sequence of steps across the width oithe s set. 05 V 3. The here-in described method of'manirfacturing expanded metal which inclurig'w, slitting without expanding a portion 0 sheet to form a plurality of parallel bonded strands, then slitting another adjacent por- 0 tion of the sheet to form another plurality: of bonded strands, the strands first formed being simultaneously opened with the slitting of thesheet-to form the second set of strands. I 1 5 -l. 'lheherein described method of manufacturing expanded metal which includes, slitting a portion of a sheet, then slitting an adjacent portion of the sheet, and simultaneously with the latter operation, opening up the first'slitted portion, the simultaneous slitting and opening taking place substantially in the same line transversclyiof the sheet. fl 5. The herein-described me'thodof mann- 12 facturing ex anded metal which includes,' slitting the s eet to forma pair of parallel bonded strands, then slitting thesheet to form another pair of parallel bonded strands, and simultaneously with the latter i operation, opening'up one of the previously formed strands direetiy and tlwother of the previously formed strands indirectly.

('i. The herein describedmethod of manufacturing expanded metal which includes; slitting a sheet with successive diagonally arranged series of cuts in stepped pairs of cuts, and opening up the strands formed by one pair of cuts simultaneously with the cutting of the adjacent pair of cuts.

7. The herein described method of manufacturing expanded metal which includes, slitting a sheet to form adjacent bonded strands a and b, then slitting the adjacent portion of the sheet to form bonded strands a and d, and simultaneously with the slitting operation which forms the strands H and (1, opening up the strands a, and b at points immediately adjacent thereto. v

8. The herein described method of manufacturing expanded metal, which" includes, slitting a sheet to form adjacent bonded. strands t and b, then slitting the adjacent portion of the sheet to form bonded strands o and J. andsimultaneously withthe slitting o ieration which forms the strands a and d opening up the strands a and b, the strand w being opened directly and the strand 1) indirectly.

In witness that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto subscribed my name this 24th day of Aug. 1915.

Y LEWIS E. CURTIS. Witness: JOSEPH HARRIS. 

